The Dame heard at a cocktail party(yes, the Dame's 'social set' loves a good, old fashioned cocktail party) that association membership(and thus funding) is tumbling to such an extent that Lord Cumudgeon is having to take back the Chelsea Manor Street offices.
So who is responsible for this humiliating retreat from fashionable Chelsea?
The oily agent, Mr Fraser Howells?
JFH has managed to upset members and create extraordinary levels of staff turnover.
Or should part of the blame be apportioned to the chairman, 'Milord' Carrington?
In years past life peerages were reserved for ex politicians of stature....now failed MP's and directors of motor trade associations get their backsides on the red leather.
Carrington is another of those Brits who love to work for Saudis...and you need a strong stomach to work for such a brutal bunch.
Clearly Carrington's diplomatic skills were honed creeping and crawling to his Saudi masters...
Anyway....whatever....despite having spent a quarter of million on repairs and maintenance the Association is being forced to move out.
Where will they end up?
Two rooms above a betting shop in Fulham Road?
Or worse, having to shack up with the very common and vulgar Hammersmith & Fulham Association.
Could the situation be saved by Pooter Cockell?
Pooter is desperately scurrying around on his income replacement scheme and the rumours are that he plans to return to his old career of flogging cigarettes.
Could this mean he plans to return to his old and dank basement offices at Chelsea Manor St and re-launch a multinational cigarette marketing operation?
If so Chelsea Manor Street could be the global HQ.
 |
| SPANISH HOTELIER |
The oily agent, Mr Fraser Howells?
JFH has managed to upset members and create extraordinary levels of staff turnover.
Or should part of the blame be apportioned to the chairman, 'Milord' Carrington?
In years past life peerages were reserved for ex politicians of stature....now failed MP's and directors of motor trade associations get their backsides on the red leather.
Carrington is another of those Brits who love to work for Saudis...and you need a strong stomach to work for such a brutal bunch.
Clearly Carrington's diplomatic skills were honed creeping and crawling to his Saudi masters...
Anyway....whatever....despite having spent a quarter of million on repairs and maintenance the Association is being forced to move out.
Where will they end up?
Two rooms above a betting shop in Fulham Road?
Or worse, having to shack up with the very common and vulgar Hammersmith & Fulham Association.
Could the situation be saved by Pooter Cockell?
Pooter is desperately scurrying around on his income replacement scheme and the rumours are that he plans to return to his old career of flogging cigarettes.
Could this mean he plans to return to his old and dank basement offices at Chelsea Manor St and re-launch a multinational cigarette marketing operation?
If so Chelsea Manor Street could be the global HQ.
Extraordinary. How are the mighty fallen?
ReplyDeleteIndeed. But not far enough.
DeleteThe picture caption for fragrant Howells is "Spanish Hotelier". Very apt. The sooner he pushes off there and spends his time full time with the boyfriend the better for the residents of K&C
DeleteThere are probably a number of different reasons for this. One certainly is that the Party centrally aggresively targets voters in constituencies like K and C for donations-in a way it certainly didn't do 10+ years ago-and that's made a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteIn other words: there are far fewer donors but those there are have lots more cash. Such "high value" donors attract the cash-hungry central party apparatus whilst the latter probably wouldn't.
DeleteOf course such "high value" donors also want a pound of flesh in return and the local party is not in a position to provide it (soirees in the Mayor's parlour notwithstanding)
It all suggests that "local parties" are slowly going down the tubes. Ever plummeting party membership figures indicate that is indeed the case.
Not entirely surprising. The old Conservative Club just down the road has had a "for sale" sign stuck outside if for several months (if not years). Although its demise is perhaps no bad thing as it appeared to be little more than a subsidised bar for some of the Daily Mail reading locals (aka "core Tory vote"?).
ReplyDeleteBe fair. Most of the local pubs had closed. The Conservative Club was providing a valuable social service keeping them off the streets.
DeleteIsn't the Kensington, Chelsea and Fulham Conservative party all the same thing? Some of our Councillors' declarations of interest certainly seem to suggest that it is and that such a body holds the "material interest" in 1a Chelsea Manor Street. In which case the party will indeed end up shacking up with the mob from H&F.
ReplyDeleteWe all thought an invasion by the barbarians to the West was inevitable. It just seems to be playing out rather differently than might have been expected.
A move to Hammersmith would be an excellent thing. The Hammersmith Tories are on their toes - alive and nervous about losing to Labour. Attend a Conservative function in that part of London and compare it with K&C. Another world.....
ReplyDeleteAnd a chance to get shot of Howells and save some money
DeleteH&F Tories are a nasty bunch. Proving the adage that a cornered animal is a dangerous thing. Labour clearly has them in a corner.
DeleteLord Cadogan has been carrying the Tories in K&C for a long time. After all, he is Hon President of the Association. Can't understand why these grandees feel the need to subsidise mediocrity
ReplyDeleteMore money than sense would appear to apply.
DeleteNot really. It's more a failure to recognise that the local party is a bottomless pit and you'd be wise to stop chucking money at it (or "stop digging" if you prefer).
DeleteCarrington has been a major disappointment as Chairman of the Chelsea Conservatives. Just likes puffing up. Missed a chance to do some good and put life into the living dead and clear out the nasties. His feedback loop is membership income and number of members. Both are in free fall
ReplyDeleteVery astute observation by Owl. Lord Carrington is unfortunately inclined to listen to the siren voices and sycophants in and around 1A Chelsea manor Street. He needs to focus on fundamentals and justify the faith put in him when he was appointed.
DeleteHowells resembles the worst kind of hairdresser
ReplyDelete